Information Literacy , writing, issues of the day -- with random photographs

Tuesday, May 2, 2017

Books, Films, and Politics

I have not written much on the blog lately -- I gave up social media for Lent and, weeks into the Easter Season, I have not gone back to it. I don't miss the feeling of having my world limited to one point of view, or the assault of angry political rhetoric.

I want to find a way back to rational discussion and a belief in the common good -- and a respect for facts, for science, for actual historical events, and for the U.S. Constitution.

I do feel as if the two things I care most about -- education and the environment -- are under attack, and may face irreparable damage under the current leadership in Congress and the Executive Branch. I have seen actions that are not normal -- and some that are very dangerous. I'm not discounting those realities, but I still want to find a way back to discussion and compromise.

So what have I been doing away from the Twitter wars? Reading. Reading a lot of different books. A friend of mine challenged me to take a reading challenge, and I've been working my way through the list. I'm trying to expand my reading into things I might not pick up on my own.

So take a look at the scroll to the right to see some of what I've been reading. I've found books I loved, and books I liked less well, but I'm enjoying the challenge.

I have more books to read than time to read them, of course, and I'm also working on a cinema challenge -- the films of the last 15 years that my nephew considers to be the best. As you might expect, they feature excellent cinematography and brilliant directing. They are fine films, admirable films, but, for the most part, not cheerful films.

I recognize the need for both conflict and important themes in great literature, and I'm learning things I didn't know -- about Jesse James [The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford, about drug cartels, the war on drugs, and how it hasn't changed much since 2002 [Traffic], had my memory refreshed on some historical points [Frost/Nixon], and visited life in East Germany [The Lives of Others].

I was glad to hear that the current budget compromise restored some of the funding for the National Endowment of the Arts. We need art and literature in our lives, to provide both reflection and escape. I hope that the Institute of Museum and Library Services will continue to be funded. All my books and films have come from my public library. It's a resource we cannot afford to shortchange or allow to disappear. Even the one to fulfill the challenge: a book you bought at a
used book store, I bought at a library used book sale.

Now would be a good time to re-read Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury -- or watch the film, though the special effects are a little different from what we see today. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0060390/

The latest mystery story from Anne Hillerman is an interesting twist on issues surrounding the Grand Canyon and how it should be used or preserved. It's also a good mystery with interesting characters. Check out The Song of the Lion, and let me know what you think. http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/980282496

Taking a break from social media hasn't changed my primary concerns, but I am currently reading Strangers in Their Own Land, which is extremely interesting so far...

Reading List

This book was not as successful as the first one; the author has an interesting setting and some interesting ideas, but no character development, so it falls flat. She has a lot of potential, but she has to make all of her characters, an...

While the author clearly has never worked in a library, her imagined library within a lighthouse on North Carolina's outer banks has amusing characters and an interesting setting. While I also guessed the murderer, I found this a good on...

This is a very powerful story. I feel that I am seeing new highlights to the history Ive lived (late 20th Century) lately, both in reading this book and in seeing the film Hidden Figures.
McBride is a good writer, and the stories of hi...

I loved this book, though it could use a little editing. It is my favorite Connie Willis since Bellwether. Is elective brain surgery ever a good idea? This book gives you a lot to think about in terms of privacy, communication, and famil...

This is an excellent addition to an interesting series. I read it in one sitting, unable to put it down. I think that's true of the whole series, though I read the first one some time ago. This story continues Liriel's story, and therefo...

I picked up this series because it is set in Wisconsin, and it's decent, but not as good as I wish every time I pick another one up. The series reminds one of Diane Mott Davidson, but not quite as well written, with slightly less well de...